vefs

ART DAYS IN VEF FACTORY

Already second year RIJADA designers took part in “VEF Art Festival” organized by community of artists and designers from VEF. During festival period all studios and workshops are open for visitors. All are welcome to free and open conversations with artists and designers. By every year “VEF Art Festival” is growing bigger and attracting new visitors with different concerts, performances and exhibitions.

RIJADA designers, during “VEF Art Festival 2009” introduced visitors with “Design Landscapes” - design objects placed in far forgotten and uninhabited part of old factory. Diana Boitmane, Ieva Laurina, Gundega Zake, Rihards Funts, Peteris Buks took part in this exhibition.


State Electrotechnical Factory, VEF in the Latvian abbreviation, was founded in 1932, afterwards growing into one of the largest Baltic enterprises, popular on an international scale. VEF produced most various goods – batteries, vacuum cleaners, radio lighthouses, etc. The most success was won by radio receiving sets and photo camera “Minox”. Actually, VEF was the only Latvian company consistently implementing modern designs. Success in the field of design was mostly accomplished due to the efforts of brothers Irbisi. Karlis Irbiti (1904-1997) created design of the first major line of radios and of the product packaging, also famous company trademark of the VEF is his work. His brother Adolfs Irbitis (1910-1983) designed almost all VEF radio models in the time period 1935-1963.
In VEF were produced 33 different types of aeroplanes designed by Karlis Irbitis in time period 1935-42.
After Russian occupation VEF became as USSR technique innovation centre. There was created almost all soviet innovative home technique.

From 2004 in VEF were founded first artist and design studios.